I've always wanted to be a pilot, and have been seriously considering getting a flight management degree (mainly because I can use more scholarship money to pay for the training) I have heard from both sides on this, some say its a good idea, some say it isnt. Can you say something about it?

Also, How competitive are pilot Jobs? What things can I do to make me stand out on a resume?

 

There are many disgruntled pilots on these boards, of which I am one. However, you asked for opinions....

Any sort of aviation degree is USELESS. Only those with the degrees will defend them. The reason is that it justifies their decision and is rarely based in fact.

You need to get a degree in something marketable outside aviation. I am not speaking of a psychology degree or a communications degree. I am speaking of a degree that teaches you how to DO something, not merely about something. Examples are engineering, medicine, law, finance, accounting, etc. Most aviation companies just want a degree and it is enticing to just get something easy to check the box. But, you never know when you might have to actually DO that thing to put bread on the table.

If you want to fly for a living, then great. It will be a long road - but a VERY FUN one that doesn't feel like work at all. Just keep at it and be smart about the money being spent. Remember, if you pay out of pocket, you are getting the best deal - although it doesn't feel like it at the time. If you finance (hard to come by right now), it'll feel better to you now, but you'll end up paying for it, plus interest, down the road. That debt will be a weight on your shoulders for many years to come.

The quickest (and worst) method that many travel is to go to a quickie flying school, get loaded with debt only to come out with 400 hours and a useless aviation degree, to then be faced with a difficult time getting a flying job, never mind keeping it. They are forced to stick with the profession (rather than explore other options) because they are loaded with flight school debt.

Don't be one of these guys. You can do better now that you are just starting out.

The best thing you can do for your resume is to get a quality flying job as quickly as you can and build high quality multi engine time. However, this is a perfect catch 22 because due to the lack of professional mobility in the flying industry, if you happen to score that first job quickly, there will be a huge opportunity cost associated with it if you end up without that job in another downswing. IOW, you could have spent some of that time fostering the foundation to a viable backup career, at the expense of delaying your flying resume a bit. That is line you must draw and navigate on your own.

More than anything though, your forward progress in this field is a function of two things. #1 - LUCK. You either hit it or you don't. #2 - Who you know. Start now, shake hands, hand out business cards, and try to remember faces and get phone numbers. You never know what seemingly obscure passing experience might lead to the next great opportunity.

 

An aviation degree is certainly not necessary, and may be an expensive waste of time.

Pilot employers hire based on the certificates and experience you have, they simply don't care where you learned to fly unless it was a military program.

A carefully selected non-aviation degree can provide a crucial backup job/career in the event that aviation does not work out, or if you are out of work temporarily due to medical, furlough, etc. A challenging degree such as science or engineering may help you get hired at some airlines, since it shows you can study and are goal oriented.

Good pilot jobs are always competitive, bad jobs are only competitive when the economy is slow. Things that help...

College degree (4 year)
Good grades
No record of flight training failures.
No criminal record.
High flight time.
Military flight experience.
Pilot-in-command or turbojet/turboprop airplanes (Turbine PIC).
Time in larger airplanes.
Airline experience.
No aircraft accidents/incidents.
No FAA violations.

It is also good to have attention getters: Things which help you stand out. This could be things like college athletics, awards, really high GPA, unusual aviation activities, significant community service, even interesting hobbies. If you're just another slacker with a 2.6 GPA who plays a lot of video games and never does anything worth noting...get in line behind all the others.

 

I'm yet to meet somebody with an aviation science / professional pilot degree who's glad to have it, and I've met quite a few. That bit of paper is worth very little. Better to spend you money on a real degree that can earn you money. I earned my degree, then worked to pay for my training. You can't do that with an aviation degree. True, it took me a bit longer, but now I have my ratings I need, plus work experience in another field. That work experience will come in handy if I'm not flying one day. Stay away from the aviation degrees.

 

HI - I'm USMCFLYR. I don't know if that will count as an introduction for you. I have an aviation degree and so far it has provided everything that I have required. Would I suggest that people run out and get one in this environment - no I wouldn't. But the way people talk about them sometimes on this forum you would think that anyone who has an aviation degree is eating from the trashcan. the degree provided me the opportunity to proceed with the plans that I wanted and the rest has eventually fallen into place.

USMCFLYR

 

LOL. We're old friends USMC (at least I hope we still are). Perhaps my brush was too broad, and with harsh bristles. Yes, I have met several successful pilots who hold the degree- there's no doubt about that. However nobody has ever told me they'd do it again. They all advise to do a more broadly applicable degree.

You wouldn't advise that course of study under these conditions for obvious reasons, but with the benefit of hindsight, under what circumstances would you encourage somebody to do it? I'm not trying to argue the value, just trying to find out what conditions would benefit most from the degree.

 

Of course
Would I do it again? If I found myself it the same set of circumstances that I did 20+ years ago I would probably go down the same path.
In my case - I needed a degree to get to where Iw as going. Like some airlines - my hopeful future didn't care what the degree was in - just that I had one.
I was stuck in a no-where major and I only had one driving interest in my life at the time. Well.....two drives but only one had a degree associated with it!
Also....a defining difference was that I knew that further down the road that I would not be relying on that major to get me a job outside of flying if I found myself looking down that particular path.
I think that flying is more akin to a trade school than a 4 year degree type of program. I do consider it a profession, but a profession of a trade.
In a similar way that a person would go to trade school for welding or auto mechanics - are people telling them to get a skill in something else or a degree in someting marketable?
The difference must be job stability and portability, but honestly I don't know much about being a welder, auto mechanic or plumber. a few people I know in those TRADES (to include small appliance repair) own their own businesses and work their butts off but seem to be doing pretty good but they worry about their job/businesses everyday!

USMCFLYR

 

I am! Two undergrad degrees, both in aviation... both useless and I am without a job. Going back to school to get 3 more degrees in a healthcare related profession. Whatever you do, do NOT get an aviation degree. Having a backup plan is absolutely imperative! I am learning that the hard way right now.

 

TWO degrees Diver? May I ask which ones?

 

I wouldn't pursue flight management. Instead, I would specify a particular business type of discipline such as accounting or finance. Flight management sounds too broad and accounting or finance and might diversify your skill set and possibly open up more opportunities for you.

Always have been, continue to be, and always will be very competitive.

Your best bet is to have it "walked in" with a letter of recommendation from someone within the company you are applying with. Also, it would help if your resume stands out from the other generic umpteen number of pilot resumes. i.e., can you fly and do something else? It may not guarantee you an interview or position, but it will communicate you are different than most of the others you are competing against.